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Emma Loughlin

My Motoring Week

July 1, 2023
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I continue to run in “Dinky” my Austin Seven in preparation for the Pre-War Austin Seven Club Cumbrian tour in two week’s time and so far… so good. Dinky’s former owner has also been in touch, and as a result, I am now the proud owner of my third Reliant; a wonderful 1962 Regal Mk V1.  This is the third car I have bought from Eric Taylor who I met at the Ashover Show several years ago when I bought Dinky from him.

My second purchase was also a Reliant but one with four wheels; a 1987 Scimitar SS1. I drove the Scimitar this week and decided that an MOT was needed so we could do some road miles. Reliant had great plans to build 1000 of these a year but the hot hatch ruled the roads in the 1980s, so just over 1000 of these little two seaters left Tamworth in an eight year production run. It’s perhaps not one of Michelotti’s greatest designs but it’s light, nippy and a lot of fun to drive. MOT passed but a few jobs for Luke and Doc Lawrence before we buy the road tax…

The Regal has been fully restored and was a great success for Reliant in the early 60s with well over 10,000 being produced. We need a new fuel pump for mine and then we will report on the driving experience!!

I also gave my Mk 4/5 Cortina a spin as we have put this on the Drive Dads Car fleet and I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by how well it drives. I then jumped in our Mk 1 Granada with its silky smooth 2.5 litre Six cylinder engine for the early 70s luxury car experience! This is also now available to drive on the fleet.

Good to see so many Great British Car Club members for Breakfast on Sunday including this wonderful convertible Citroen Traction Avant which completed the Peking to Paris run back in 2007. Also this lovely S1 Bentley… surely the most elegant of the standard bodied Bentley and Rolls-Royce models. 

Finally, I was very excited to get the Eight track stereo in our Mk3 Cortina playing T Rex yesterday. Find the video on Facebook here!!

Stay safe and enjoy the Sun whilst it lasts… we are on holiday in Norfolk next week so its probably going to rain!

My Motoring Week…

June 20, 2023
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Mini and Austin 7

A busy week at Great British Car Journey finished off with Father’s Day and hundreds of cars and visitors.

My daily commute has been in my 2000 Mini Cooper Sport which has covered only 10600 miles from new. The classic Mini is a work of pure genius and reconnects you with the road like nothing else. A huge “Thank you” must go to Sir Alec Issigonis for his creation, although as I turned 66 last Thursday, I realised that my springs aren’t quite what they were!

Dutton Surf

Much of the middle of the week was committed to familiarisation in the Dutton, as we finally braved the slipway and took to the Derwent. On Friday, my old friend Rob Gill who is the motoring editor of The Sun came to get aquatic. See what he thought in this Thursday’s paper or read and watch it here.

In preparation for Austin Day on Saturday, I drove our A70 Hereford and our beautiful Austin 16 Woodie, the latter in preparation for a reunion with the family who rebuilt her over 40 years ago. These big post war Austins have so much to recommend them; comfort and serenity on wheels.

Austin Day was well attended on Saturday with another fine Paralanian Camper stealing my heart – truly the Rolls Royce of camper vans! Thanks to the Austin Counties crowd for providing such an array of Devons, Dorsets, Herefords, Hampshires and Somersets.

Doc Lawrence our resident mechanical genius has also changed the bearings in Dinky, my Austin 7 in preparation for the Pre War Austin 7 Cumbrian run in July. She has never run so sweetly but I am under pain of death to run her in carefully.

Mini and Austin 7

A truly wonderful selection of Jowetts joined us for Father’s day so we had to get our Bradford Lorry (on loan from Joe Stocks) out to meet a friend. Thank you Jowetteers for joining us and happy 100th birthday to the oldest one make car club in the world!

Find our full list of upcoming events here or book your tickets to experience Great British Car Journey here.

Amphibious car sets sail at Great British Car Journey

June 12, 2023
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Dutton Surf

Is it a duck? Is it a boat? Is it a car?  It’s all three. It’s a Dutton 4WD Surf – an amphibious vehicle can be seen in Great British Car Journey.

Like all the cars in the UK’s award-winning interactive car museum’s collection, the custom-built amphibious car is in full working order – on land and water!

Great British Car Journey’s director Andrew Talbot took the Dutton 4WD Surf on its maiden voyage recently when it entered the river and travelled upstream before returning to dry land.

He said: “I have spent a lot of time on the Derwent in my kayak and I’m confident that this is the first amphibious car to have ever travelled on the river. Being in the Dutton was an altogether different experience from being in my kayak or even a normal car, but it was fantastic. I loved every minute of it.”

Now named the ‘Derwent Duck’ by the museum team, the craft was built by British inventor Tim Dutton at his factory in Littlehampton. Tim has been making the only successful amphibious car in the world since 1989 at a factory that used to make lifeboats.

No more than seven of the amphibious cars are made each year and a number of them have appeared in high profile TV programmes like Hunted and Britain’s Got Talent where it was driven in the opening sequence by Simon Cowell and David Walliams.

Travelling on water at a top speed of five knots powered by jet propulsion, the Dutton Surf is designed for lazy days on the river rather than powerboating. On land, the Dutton 4WD Surf operates like a normal car and is fully road legal with a top speed of 85mph.

The craft, when not on the Derwent, can be found in the museum’s 150-strong collection which celebrates the weird and wonderful, and best and worst, of British car design over the last 100 years.

Commenting on the Derwent Duck’s addition to the exhibition, Richard Usher founder and CEO of Great British Car Journey, said: “Tim Dutton is yet another example of a British engineering pioneer and we are delighted to have the Dutton 4WD Surf in our collection. Like many of the cars in the collection, it’s a real talking point.”

To come and see the Dutton in our museum book your tickets here

For more information on news updates, new donated car features, car club visits, new merchandise and forthcoming events please sign up to our newsletter below.

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Great British Car Journey named as a top new tourism business in national awards

June 9, 2023
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Image credit VisitBritain/Daniela Luquini

Just two years after opening, the Great British Car Journey, an interactive car museum in Derbyshire, has been named as one of the top new tourism businesses in the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2023.

The annual awards, which celebrate the tourism industry’s brightest stars, were held on Thursday 7 June at a glittering award ceremony hosted by Alex Polizzi at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London.

Great British Car Journey was one of 48 winners selected from hundreds of tourism businesses across England, including hotels, self-catering accommodation, B&Bs, glamping operators, attractions, restaurants, pubs and museums.

Accepting the bronze award for New Tourism Business of the Year Richard Usher, Founder and CEO of Great British Car Journey, said: “What a phenomenal journey the last two years have been for Great British Car Journey. To be recognised in the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence has just blown us all away. We knew we had something special when we opened the museum in May 2021 but to have it confirmed is wonderful.

“It’s onwards and upwards for Great British Car Journey. We have many exciting plans in the pipeline which will ensure we continue to stand out in both the classic car and visitor attraction market.”

Since opening amid Covid restrictions, the museum has been a hit, welcoming more than 60,000 visitors from through the UK and the world.

To maintain and increase visitor interest, the attraction continues to add unique and fascinating cars to its exhibition, including the Rolls-Royce which was owned by the founder of the Scouting movement Lord Baden Powell, the last Morris Minor ever made, and a Lotus driven by world champion racing driver Mario Andretti.

It has also further developed its offer to hosting regular events, launching a car club, an online shop, and its own YouTube series, Great British Car Share, with motoring personalities Sarah Crabtree and Paul Woodford.

The museum, which is located in Ambergate on the edge of the Peak District, now boasts more than 150 classic British cars in the exhibition which tells the story of car design and production in the UK from the 1923 to 2000. Uniquely, the museum also has more than 40 classic cars, ranging from the Austin Seven to the Ford Capri, which visitors to the attraction can take for a drive.

Richard added: “2023 has been a fantastic year so far. We won Gold at the Visit Peak District and Derbyshire Tourism Awards earlier in the year and also narrowly missed out on the Tourism Superstar of the Year Award for our young heritage apprentice Luke Henshaw. We’ll keep on doing what we do as it is evidently working!”

To book discounted entry tickets to Great British Car Journey visit here or to book a drive in one the cars on the Drive Dad’s Car fleet visit here

Unique piece of BMC history goes on display at Great British Car Journey

June 7, 2023
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A unique piece of BMC history – a restored ‘skeleton’ example of the Austin 1100 Countryman – is now on display at Great British Car Journey after being generously lent to us by The 1100 Club.

The skeleton body of the unique vehicle is designed to show the electric motors which control the movement of front and rear seats, demonstrating its carrying capacity to the full.

The arrival at Great British Car Journey follows the end of an eight-year search by the club for a new home for the car following the closure of its former home, Stondon Motor Museum in 2015. Since the museum’s closure the car has been in storage, only being brought out by the club for shows and exhibitions. During this time, members of the Essex branch of The 1100 Club restored the rare model to its former glory.

“Absolutely over the moon” to finally bring the car out of storage, Gordon Diffey, The 1100 Club committee member who is responsible for looking after the car, explained: “After learning about the Great British Car Journey at the Classic Car Show last year where I had my car on display and then visiting the museum myself, I was very impressed and realised it would be an absolutely perfect place to display the car. Now that it is on display again at the museum, members of The 1100 Club and all other classic car enthusiasts have the opportunity to see it whenever they want.”

Originally produced by Austin to demonstrate the still unique BMC engine and transmission layout at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, the car also appeared the following year at the 1967 Earls Court Motor Show on a turntable alongside a fully bodied version.

At the end of the show the Austin 1100 skeleton car was put into storage at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon before being purchased by The 1100 Club in 1998 and subsequently displayed at Stondon Motor Museum in Bedfordshire.

Delighted to have the Austin 1100 skeleton on display in the exhibition, Richard Usher, CEO and founder of Great British Car Journey said: “This is a truly unique car and an important piece of BMC’s history which we are delighted to now have on display. It’s a real talking point, like so many of the wonderful cars designed and produced by British manufacturers over the last 100 years. I am grateful to Gordon and The 1100 Club for giving us the opportunity to share this car with so many people.”

The Austin 1100 skeleton car

The Austin 1100 skeleton car is available to view seven days a week alongside more than 130 classic cars at Great British Car journey.

Single admission is just £17.50 but, when booked online, visitors pay just £16.00.  Concessions and family tickets are also available.

Save money and book your entry tickets online here.

Great British Car Journey introduces new Park and Peek visitor ticket

May 30, 2023
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Did you know that you can now ‘Park and Peek’ at Great British Car Journey?

A new entry ticket has been introduced to the classic car visitor attraction in Ambergate.

Costing just £5, the Park and Peek ticket is a great way for up to five people to come along and see the many vehicles in the exhibition from a distance, use the toilet facilities and grab a drink or bite to eat at the Filling Station café within Great British Car Journey.

The new ticket is designed to be used by visitors attending the many car club events and meets held in the Great British Car Journey car park. In addition to the hugely popular Great British Car Meet event, which attract hundreds of visitors and cars, the museum car park is also used as a meeting point by a wide range of car clubs, including Morgan, Volvo, Porsche.

Upcoming car park events include Great British Car Meets (30 June).

Great British Car Journey is also hosting visits from Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club (17 June), Jowett Club (18 June) and Jaguar Drivers Club East Midlands (24 June).

To discover all events taking place at Great British Car Journey click here

For Park and Peek visitors keen to get up close to the 140-strong classic car exhibition within the Great British car Journey, the ticket price can be redeemed against entry to the attraction on the door.

As well as getting to see the myriad of makes and models on display in the car park, the new Park and Peek ticket also allows visitors to use the onsite cafe and toilet facilities at the attraction as well as view, from a distance, the 140-strong classic car exhibition within the museum.

Richard Usher, Founder and CEO of Great British Car Journey explained: “We regularly have many great vehicles in our car park thanks to our regular Car Meets and visiting car clubs that provoke as much interest outside as in the attraction.”

“More often than not, visitors upgrade their ticket to entry once they have seen the exhibition and realised that it is not a bland ‘don’t touch’ museum, rather people can open the doors of the cars, look at the interiors and inhale that old car smell. It’s a real trip down memory lane.

”The Park and Peek ticket can be purchased on the day from reception at Great British Car Journey or click the button below.

To purchase your Park and Peak ticket click here

Fiesta of Fords

May 27, 2023
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Ford has been part of the car landscape in the UK since the dawn of motoring with the Model T assembled in Manchester being the best selling car in Britain before war broke out in 1914.

The building of Dagenham was a colossal enterprise and for the last seventy years Ford models have never been far from the top of the sales charts. Anglias, Escorts, Fiestas, Cortinas, Sierras, Mondeos and Focuses have provided affordable, reliable and comfortable motoring for millions and millions of people.

On June 4th Great British Car Journey celebrates all the products of the Blue Oval in a Fiesta of Fords.

If you own one come and join us! Email your car registration number to Oliver@greatbritishcarjourney.com so we can discount your entry to what we hope will be a day of the blue oval under a blue sky.

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Happy 2nd Birthday to Great British Car Journey!

May 22, 2023
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Two years ago today Great British Car Journey opened its doors to the public!

 We want to thank everyone who has visited us and continues to support us along the way – we’ve had yet another incredible year!

Some of the highlights this year include:

Drive Mum's Car
read about our ambassadors here
Sign up to our youTube chanel here

None of this could have been achieved without our amazing team who work tirelessly to make sure every visitor has an unforgettable experience. From our skilled vehicle technicians and calm and collected driving instructors to the army of volunteers and café team and everyone in between – we are grateful to work alongside such passionate people.

Thanks also go to the wonderful owners who have allowed us to display their cars in our exhibition; as well as the army of car enthusiasts who turn out in their droves in their much-loved classics at our car meets – you enable us to showcase the best of British automotive engineering and design. And, of course, a big thank you to the incredible car clubs and everyone who visits us – we appreciate your support.

As we look forward to what 2023/24 has in-store. We already have some exciting new events and projects in the pipeline, including the addition of more classic cars to the Drive Dad’s Car fleet that you won’t want to miss (discover them at Meet the Fleet Day this Saturday!), more quirky and historic vehicles to the exhibitions and some stunning new Autocar front covers available for purchase.

So why not come and celebrate with us and experience the magic of Great British Car Journey for yourself? With themed events, fascinating interactive audio tours and the most wonderful classic cars with their own story to tell, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

Join us this week and next for :

Great-British-Cars-Logo
great british car meet - friday 26 may - 4pm - 8pm
meet the fleet day - saturday 27 may - 10am - 4pm
mini and issigonis day - sunday 28 may - 10am - 4pm
a fiesta of fords - sunday 4th june - 10am - 4pm
Find out why luke will always be our winner
check out our themed events including delorean day
Subscribe to Our Newsletter for information on forthcoming events

Mini and Issigonis Day – May 28th

May 20, 2023
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The Suez crisis of 1956 prompted Len Lord who was in charge of BMC the merged Austin and Morris empire, to put the production of a small economical car to the top of the priority list.

Launched in 1959, the Mini was the work of Alec Issigonis who had designed the Morris Minor. The Mini was destined to be the greatest British popular car of all time with well over 5 million being made until the last one rolled off the production line in October 2000.

At Great British Car Journey, we absolutely LOVE Minis and we recognise Sir Alec Issigonis as a genius. Sunday 28th May is the day we acknowledge this! We would like to assemble as many Minis as possible and we reckon, because they are so tiny, we have room for at least 400!!

So if you love Minis and certainly if you own one, we would love to see you at Great British Car Journey on May 28th.

Anyone arriving in a Mini or any Mini derived car is entitled to a special MINI DAY admission price so please email oliver@greatbritishcarjourney.com with your car registration number so we can apply discount to your visit. This invitation extends to Elfs Hornets and all Austin / Morris / MG / Riley / Wolseley 1100/1300 variants as we celebrate the genius of Sir Alec and an era when his cars ruled the road and the race and rally circuit.

Join us for 75th celebrations at our Morris Minor Day

May 16, 2023
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Morris Minor Million

The Morris Minor made its debut at the British Motor Show at Earls Court in October 1948. Alec Issigonis’ first great volume design is therefore 75 years old this year.

The Minor is central to the story of Great British Car Journey, being the best selling and most loved, next generation of true family transport after the war and taking over the mantle from the Austin 7.

Hopefully, Sunday 21st May will be a lovely early Summer day and we would like to assemble as many Morris Minors as possible to celebrate this marvellous little car.

We have a great selection of Morris Minors in the collection including a wonderful early convertible from 1950 and the last Minor ever made, kindly on loan from the Morris Minor Owners Club, as well as two Minor Millions!

Although Morris himself was no great fan of the Minor, it is a landmark vehicle in the history of Great British cars with more than 1.7 million being built between 1948 and 1971.

Joining us on Sunday will be members of the Northamptonshire Branch of the Morris Minor Club, along with ‘Miranda’ the Morris Minor Marie Curie fundraiser.

A special event entry price is available for all Morris Minors attending so if you are coming in a Minor please email your interest and car registration number to ian@greatbritishcarjourney.com so we can discount your admission.

If you are a Morris Minor fan but don’t own, pop along to see the fantastic display.

To Book Tickets for Morris Minor Day Click Here

Rover Day – 14 May 2023

May 15, 2023
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Rover Day 2023 at Great British Car Journey

Hopefully watching from above, John Kemp Starley, would have observed the car park at Great British Car Journey largely populated by Rovers on Sunday 14th May 2023 as we celebrated the great British institution that was Rover cars. Of course, Starley made his considerable reputation with his Rover ‘safety’ bicycle and it was not until 1904 that the first Rover car took to the road, preceded by some motorbikes and an ingenious electric tricycle.

Over the next 100 years, Rover concentrated on cars and although Starley died in 1901, his legacy was more than present in our car park for our Rover themed day.

I would like to thank all the owners of the cars who made our first Rover Day so memorable. In particular, the enthusiastic Rover 200 and 400 Owners Club and their events co-ordinator Iain Turner for putting on a great display of some of the last high volume Rovers ever made. Iain has a pristine Rover 200vi which was one of the last really hot hatches to carry the Rover name.

The famous Viking Ship logo was visible on virtually all the significant post-war models on display with a number of P6 and SD1s present representing an era when Rover lost its rather staid image with some truly inspirational models. Sadly, the Rover car story ended in 2005, when the closure of Longbridge ended production of the 75.

Rover Day however, was a celebration of the greatness of Rover and I look forward to celebrating again next year with even more cars!

Our themed events programme continues this weekend with a 75th birthday celebration of Alec Issigonis’ first great success, the Morris Minor. If you own one or just love them, join us next Sunday!

Richard Usher
Found and CEO, Great British Car Journey

Find our full calendar of themed days for 2023 here

Founder’s Classic Week of Driving

May 7, 2023
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Despite having a rather busy weekend, I managed to squeeze a little bit of Classic motoring into my week.

It started with a familiarisation drive in one of the latest cars donated to the museum – a 1997 Rover 820 kindly donated by Stephen Yates, having been in long term family ownership. These luxury Rovers benefitted from the British Leyland collaboration with Honda and sold well, replacing the ageing SD1. This particular car has been cherished by Stephen and his parents and drives very sweetly providing a very comfortable ride.

On Monday, I briefly drove another car donated to us by Peter Mathers, a 2007 Ford Ka 1.3. making it a late version of the car launched in 1996 and substantially changed in 2008. I owned a SportKa back in 2004 which I used as a runaround and thought back then that it was a fun drive which could definitely have handled more power. The styling was not to everyone’s taste but it was distinctive which I think has really stood the test of time. Sadly in my view the last iteration of the Ka which was discontinued in 2019 looked like just another small euro-box and had lost the distinctive character of the original car. We would like to thank Peter for this ‘modern classic’ and one of the last Fords to have a really distinctive shape.

On Thursday I drove home in my A40 Farina which is always guaranteed to raise a smile. This car was supplied new by Kennings in Loscoe in 1963 and I am only the second owner. It has covered 250,000 miles and now has a 1275cc engine with twin carbs. Needless to say it is a sprightly little thing. The reg number is original as in 1963 before going to the A suffix , Derbyshire County Council decided to use up some old numbers. My Mum learned to drive in an A40 so I have early memories of listening to her instructor, Mrs Parker, giving her lessons as I stayed quiet in the back!

Finally, I am delighted to announce that we have bought a really rare HB Viva from Great British Car Club member Paul Simpson. This SL variant has a 1600 OHC engine with 83 bhp on tap. It’s in great condition and drives really well. This was a real alternative to an Escort GT and I think drives rather better with its coil sprung back axle with trailing arms. I have driven it round the site but can’t wait for an open road trip!

So… another varied week of motoring down at Great British Car Journey and we personally have a Porsche Cayenne on loan at the moment as Mrs Usher’s Macan is in for some work. The Cayenne is all that’s wrong with modern cars, its huge bulk makes it feel really heavy (which it is) and if you drive with any enthusiasm, it’s actually quite hard work and very hard on the wallet. Does anyone really need such a big lumbering thing to take the kids to school? I cant wait to get our diesel Macan back.

Richard Usher,
Founder and CEO, Great British Car Journey

April goes out with a bang and May starts with one!

May 3, 2023
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May Day Great British Car Meet

We enjoyed a fantastic weekend at Great British Car Journey as April moved into May last week. Both Saturday, Sunday and Monday (May Day) were really busy and I would like to thank all the team for their hard work and dedication. Thanks also to all the organisers from Jaguar Drivers Club, Morgan Sports Car Club, The Imp Club and Aston Martin Owners Club for visiting and being so complimentary about our venue.

A belated Happy 60th Birthday to the Hillman Imp – that clever little car built by the Rootes Group in Scotland which deserved to be a bigger success back in the 1960s. I was particularly impressed by the variety of different Jaguars which attended the Breakfast Club and was pleased to hear from the Club Chairman, Roger Kemp, that the club is enjoying good growth with plenty of owners of current cars signing up too. The Club magazine edited by the indefatigable, Gaynor Cauter, is a very well-produced publication which I would say is worth the club membership fee in its own right.

Similarly, Roy Blunt, Chairman of The Imp Club affirmed that interest in the Imp and all its variants remained strong and they had enjoyed a good weekend celebrating this significant anniversary.

The winning Austin Paralanian Camper Van
The winning Austin Paralanian Camper Van – Image courtesy of Carly Staton

On Monday, we entered a new month with our second Great British Car Meet in three days and a fantastic turnout saw the car park full and the café as busy as ever. My absolute favourite car of the day was the pristine Austin Paralanian Camper Van. The name Paralanian came from the fact that they were coach-built in Parry Lane, Bradford, so not quite as exotic as it sounds. However, it was a very luxurious Motor Home by the standards of post-war Britain and this particular example was a real credit to its owner. I hope we will see it again.

Visit our calendar for the full list of future classic car events at Great British Car Journey.

Richard Usher
Founder and CEO of Great British Car Journey.

Great British Car Journey announced as finalist in VisitEngland Awards for Excellence

April 28, 2023
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Great British Car journey has reached the finals of the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

Great British Car journey is one of five tourism businesses from the Peak District and Derbyshire that have reached the finals of the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

Great British Car Journey has been shortlisted has been shortlisted for New Tourism Business of the Year in the national awards after winning gold at the 2023 Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards earlier this year.

Gold winners of the 2023 Visit Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards

Judges for the Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards described Great British Car journey as ‘a well thought through structured experience which captures in creative detail the timeline of the British Motor Industry over the last 100 years. It is of interest not only to motoring enthusiasts but provides a window into the nation’s social history from working families in the 20s, to the swinging 60s, the industrial struggles of the 70’s to the emerging high tech vehicles of now. The historic vehicle apprenticeship programme adopted by the Great British Journey is to be commended.’

The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence awards are the highest accolades in English tourism and champion the very best of the country’s tourism industry celebrating quality, innovation, best practice and exceptional customer service.

Richard Usher, CEO and founder of Great British Car Journey, finalists in the New Tourism Business category, said: “Since we opened in Derbyshire in 2021, the attraction has really struck a chord with the general public, whether they are classic car enthusiasts or not, offering the ultimate trip down memory lane. The exhibition, driving experience and our events are attracting visitors and tourist groups from all over the world. It’s been an exciting journey for the entire Great British Car Journey team. To be a finalist in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence is just the icing on the cake.”

Alongside Great British Car Journey, fellow Peak District and Derbyshire businesses – Wildhive Callow Hall, The Blind Bull, Pure Outdoor and myGuidedWalks – have also been shortlisted in the national awards.

Wildhive Callow Hall near Ashbourne has reached the finals for Small Hotel of the Year; and The Blind Bull at Little Hucklow, near Buxton, has been shortlisted for the Pub of the Year Award, Outdoor activity and training providers Pure Outdoor have been shortlisted for the Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award; and myGuidedWalks, a Peak District walking experience provider, has been shortlisted in the Experience of the Year category.

“Good luck to our fellow Derbyshire and Peak District nominees in these prestigious awards,” added Richard.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony held at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter on Wednesday 7 June 2023.

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire said: “It’s an excellent achievement to be shortlisted for these prestigious national awards and we’re proud that the Peak District and Derbyshire is represented by five fantastic finalists.

“This serves as a timely reminder of the value and sheer quality of our world-class tourism offer, and is testament to our passionate businesses who are dedicated to providing visitors with unforgettable experiences.

“Entering locally aligned awards is the only way to qualify for the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, so we encourage tourism businesses to look out for when entries open for the 2024 Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards this summer. We wish our finalists the very best of luck!”

To discover why Great British Car Journey is

Help us raise funds for Childline on Drive it Day 2023

April 17, 2023
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Members of the Great British Car Club or a Motor Sport UK affiliated club are invited to join Great British Car Journey’s special driving tour through the Peak District on Sunday 23 April.

A range of classic cars and their owners will be departing from the visitor attraction in Ambergate from 9:45am, for the White Peak tour – a 40-mile route through some of the Peak District and Derbyshire’s most beautiful countryside.

The stunning route, which starts and finishes at Great British Car Journey, has been approved by Motorsport UK as a non-competitive touring assembly.

Richard Usher, Founder and CEO of Great British Car Journey explained: “Our expert navigational wizard, Steve White, has put together a pretty wonderful route which we believe will take you on roads you have never been on before. I drove the route recently myself and it was unbelievably scenic and very restful.”

The annual Drive It Day event is organised by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) and is designed to raise money for NSPCC’s Childline service.

In addition to the driving tour, Great British Car Journey is fundraising on the day at the attraction and is inviting everyone to get involved, and help raise money for Childline.

On the day Great British Car Journey has pledged to donate the following to Childline:

  • Half the White Peak Tour entry fee (£25)
  • 10% of Great British Car Journey admission
  • 10% of revenue from The Filling Station Cafe
  • £5 from every Great British Car Club membership sign up. New members will also receive a free Great British Car Journey mug.

The £25 White Peak Tour entry fee also includes a Drive it Day 2023 car plaque and two free hot drinks in The Filling Station Café at Great British Car Journey.

In addition to the driving event and fundraising, a very special classic car handover will also be taking place at Great British Car Journey on the day.

Tom Keene, a 32 year old classic car enthusiast from Sandiway in Cheshire, will be handed the keys to a Pre-War Austin 7 Club’s RP Box Saloon at 11.00am.

The handover is part of the Classic Car Loan Project, which aims to encourage the next generation of classic car owners by giving younger drivers free use of a classic car for up to a year as an extended driving experience.

Young enthusiasts, normally aged 25 years or older and with some level of interest and aptitude, can apply to borrow a a range of cars. There are no hire or loan charges involved, they just have to look after the car as if it was their own.

The car was previously driven by Liam Murphy from Mansfield who has been the custodian of the car since 2021. He has documented his adventures in the 1933 Austin 7 Club’s RP Box Saloon on YouTube at @Austin7Adventures  and Instagram at @austin7adventures.

The car will now continue its adventures with Tom who has been saving up for his own classic car since he was a boy after his dad took him to Oulton Park.

To join Great British Car Journey’s White Peak Tour on Drive it Day please email adrian@greatbritishcarjourney.com or call 01773 317243 to book your place.

You can sign up for the White Peak Tour between 9am and 9:45am on the day at Great British Car Journey, however you will need proof of club membership.

An ‘Eggcellent’ Easter Monday Car Meet

April 11, 2023
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It was great to see so many cars at the latest event at Ambergate yesterday for our Easter Monday Great British Car Meet. Although the weather was very April, it didn’t stop people and cars turning up in their droves! The sun even made one or two brief appearances.

I absolutely love the diversity of classic cars at these events: a beautiful 1947 Rolls-Royce, a sweet little Gilbern GT, an immaculate and immensely rare Mk 3 Cortina 1.3 L,  a couple of Morgan three-wheelers, a Saab 96, alongside the Minis, Metros, Maestros and Maxis (Remember: the four Ms are available to drive on our Drive Dad’s Car fleet).

Every time I went out in the car park, there was another car that caught my eye. I loved having great conversations with you, the owners about the history, the memories and why the car is special to you.

I was often accompanied by film maker extraordinaire Paul Woodford and, when I could prize her away from the Ital complete with roof rack and vintage luggage, the marvellous Sarah Crabtree. Speaking of which, have you seen the episode of Great British Car Share over on our YouTube channel in which Sarah drives (or attempts to drive) our Maxi? Watch it here if you haven’t.

Finally it was great to see road tester par excellence  John Barker and his sons. Many moons ago, John and colleagues started a magazine called EVO for which he still writes. 

I would like to thank everyone who came along to our Easter Monday Great British Car Meet and helped make it such a success.

If you missed out on this or are hungry for more, we also have an evening Car Meet on Friday 28th April and another Bank Holiday Car Meet on Monday 1st May.

Our Car Meets cost just £5 to enter with your car but if you are a member of our fantastic Great British Car Club, then entry to all our Meets is free. For an annual membership fee of just £39 you can come into the Great British Car Journey exhibition as often as you like and also attend a load of Members’ events, as well as get discounts on Drive Dad’s Car drives, in the café, gift shop and a dedicated insurance offer.

The Club is friendly and very inclusive; any car, any make or model and just a passion for classics. See the section on our website for more details on how to join.

Finally, it’s Drive it Day on Sunday 23rd April and the Club has put together a lovely 40 mile drive through the White Peak courtesy of my old friend Steve White whose Model A Ford is the oldest licensed taxi in the UK. If you want to join the run, please give us a call on 01773 317243.

A big thank you to everyone who came along to this event for your enthusiasm and support. I hope to see you again very soon.

Richard Usher

CEO and Founder, Great British Car Journey.

Mystery Solved?

March 29, 2023
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Back in January we appealed to the public to help us solve the mystery surrounding our pristine 1971 Vauxhall Victor.

The car, which had been bought new by Peter Milner, had spent virtually all its life unused (save for 88 miles on the clock), hidden away and with a boot full of spare parts and petrol cans.

The mystery captured the imagination of the nation with the national press, TV and radio all picking up on the story and sharing our appeal.

Thanks to the appeal, Mr Milner’s nephew (also called Peter Milner) very kindly came forward to shed some light on the mystery. We awaited our speculation to come to an end.

Richard met with Peter at Great British Car Journey, where he sat in his uncle’s car for the first time on 11 February 2023, nearly half a century after it was bought. The meeting was captured by the team at BBC East Midlands. Watch the broadcast here.

Here’s what we discovered…

Peter Milner was born in 1923 and was one of seven children. The family lived in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.  Peter worked for most of his life for the GPO which was the telephone arm of the Post Office. By all accounts, Mr Milner was a clever engineer who was often summoned to fix local exchanges whenever there was a problem. He was a shy and reclusive character and he lived with his sister at 16 Gregory Street.

On 12 April 1974, Mr Milner bought the Vauxhall Victor from Mercury Garage. It was not his first car purchase from them as he already owned a Victor Estate which was only two years old. The Victor, as we know, underwent Ziebart treatment before being stored away forever with just 88 miles on the clock.

Mr Milner retired in 1983 and he became even more invisible. His nephew remembers visiting the house and ringing the bell. The door would be opened and a figure would scuttle upstairs leaving Peter to talk to his aunt.

On Mr Milner’s death in 2018, he left a sizeable estate which exceeded seven figures in value. The estate also included a Victor Estate along with a 1990s Honda and a fork-lift truck on an extremely overgrown allotment.

And, beyond this, we know no more. Peter Milner remains a man of mystery.

However, amongst his belongings his nephew found an unopened pay packet from the Ministry of Defence. We’ll leave it there and allow you to draw your conclusions.

And that is where the story ends. Mystery solved? Probably not, but we had a lot of fun trying to work it out.

Book a drive in a Vauxhall

If you have fond memories of old Vauxhalls, did you know that we have three in our Drive Dad’s Car collection which you can take for a drive? For just £49.00, you can drive a Vauxhall Viva, Astra MK1 or Cavalier 1.6 on a private on-site route at Great British Car Journey. Book your drive today here

Discover our packed programme of car meets and events for 2023

March 23, 2023
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With winter finally drawing to a close, seven day opening resumes at Great British Car Journey from Friday 24 March. We’ll be open from 10.00am to 5.00pm (last entry 4.00pm) every day until October.

With winter firmly behind us, we’ve lined up a packed calendar of car meets for 2023 and a number of family-friendly special events.

Austin, Mini, Jaguar, Jowett, TVR, Rover and Aston Martin are just a handful of the iconic British brands that will be seen in the Great British Car Journey car park with their respective clubs throughout 2023.

Since opening in 2021, the Ambergate-based museum has become increasingly popular with car clubs and groups, who use it as a meeting place for their club members.

Our central location on the A6 on the edge of the Peak District National Park, together with our toilet facilities and popular Filling Station cafe, make us an ideal meeting place for car clubs and starting point for drives.

“We aim to have as much of a show outside Great British Car Journey as we do inside. It’s just one of the many things that makes us unique,” explained the museum founder and CEO Richard Usher.

Inside, Great British Car Journey has a display of more than 130 cars – all British designed and manufactured. Alongside the fondly remembered original Mini, Austin Seven, Morris Minor and Ford Escort, visitors will also find lesser known British cars like the Arrol-Johnston and Gilbern, as well as an iconic DeLorean, Elton John’s Bentley Continental T and Lord Baden Powell’s Rolls-Royce.

In addition to the car meets, there are also a number of family-friendly events taking place throughout the year at Great British Car Journey, including 80s Retro Day on Sunday 7 May.

Family tickets cost just £36.00 when booked online and admit two adults and up to three children.

Single admission is just £17.50 but, when booked online, visitors pay just £16.00.  Concessions are also available.

Make sure to book direct and online through the Great British Car Journey website to secure the best ticket price.

You can find details of all the car clubs visiting Great British Car Journey as well as family-friendly events here

We won GOLD!

March 3, 2023
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Great British Car Journey has been named as the overall winner of the New Tourism Business category in the 2023 Visit Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards.

The Buxton Crescent Heritage Experience and The George at Hathersage told the silver and bronze awards respectively.

The announcement was made at a glittering awards ceremony held at Casa Hotel in Chesterfield on the 2 March.

Unfortunately, Great British Car Journey’s founder and CEO Richard was ill so missed out on the fantastic night, however General Manager Ian Gardecki was there to collect the award. He said: “We were so happy to win, and it was brilliant to be able to share the news with all the team at Great British Car Journey the next day. The very late finish on the night and early start the next day was definitely worth the slight headache!”

Great British Car Journey was one of 14 gold winners on the night. As the winner of one of the 13 core categories in the awards, we now progress onto the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2023, which represent the highest accolades in English tourism. The awards will be held later this year in June.

Gold winners were each presented with hand-crafted awards, designed and made by Derbyshire-based C W Sellors Fine Jewellery & Luxury Watches, whilst Silver and Bronze winners each received a certificate identifying them as one of the finest tourism businesses in the area.

Jo Dilley, managing director of tourist board Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, said: “The awards are a celebration of all that’s great about the tourism industry locally, and recognise its vital importance to the economy as well as the hard work, talent and dedication of those who work in this important sector.

“The quality and diversity of our tourism offer is immense and, in light of the many difficulties faced by the industry over the past three years, we should be tremendously proud of not only our award-winners, but of all our finalists.

“They have shown adaptability, innovation, and commitment to delivering world-class experiences to visitors day in, day out and help make the Peak District and Derbyshire such a fantastic place to live, work and visit. Congratulations everyone.”

We were also delighted to see our Peak District and Derwent Valley neighbours Matlock Farm Park, Heights of Abraham and Thornbridge Estate secure awards at the event. The 2023 gold Young Achiever was announced as Josh Butler of Longbow Bars and Restaurants. He takes over the accolade from our own heritage apprentice Luke Henshaw who won it last year.

Luke has since been shortlisted for the prestigious VisitEngland Tourism Superstar Award, the winner of which will be announced during English Tourism Week (Friday 17 – Sunday 26 March 2023).

Voting closes at midnight on 20 March, to vote for Luke to win the 2023 VisitEngland Tourism Superstar Award complete the form here.

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